(L to R) Zafeena Suresh, EducationUSA Advisor, United States-India Educational Foundation; Moderator: Harjiv Singh, CEO, Salwan Media, (Alumnus of Columbia University)and Bennett E. McClellan, Professor and Vice Dean, Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities.

You’ve been accepted to university outside India, so now you’re worrying about how to finance your expensive foreign education - with a few tips and tricks it is totally feasible, and worth every bit of the experience!

Braingainmag.com held a student session at The Imperial Hotel in New Delhi in February 2014. Harjiv Singh, CEO of Salwan Media; Zafeena Suresh of United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF); and Bennett McClellan, Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, teamed up to give students some useful tips on funding their studies.

Research, research, research!

• Be thorough. Do your research well. Look up your university website to learn about all their financial aid packages and scholarships, and apply to any you think you might be eligible for. No matter how small the awarded amount might be, every bit makes a difference.


• When you apply to an American need-blind university, check to see if it is need-blind for international students as well. Some universities are need-blind only for American students.


• It might be cheaper to get a loan in the country you’re going to study in. For instance, interest rates are lower in the U.S. than they are in India, so it may be cheaper to get a loan there.

Bennett E. McClellan, Professor and Vice Dean, Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities at BGM's information session

Student Budget

• Make a budget plan and try to save money where you can. Don’t drink that coffee in Starbucks if it means you save four or five dollars.


• Sometimes it makes more sense to get that book you’ll only ever need to use once for a class on loan from the library rather than fork out to buy it.

Forward Planning

• Consider what you are planning to do after your degree. Can you afford to take a loan and pay it back from the salary you’re expecting?


• Whatever you do, stick within the student visa regulations. It doesn’t pay to step outside the bounds of the law!

Tags: finances, scholarships, study abroad, budget, money, funding, student life